Friday, December 28, 2012

Apple Inc. (AAPL) just can't seem to catch a break in recent days. Investor sentiment has increasingly grown sour in the wake of the iPhone 5 launch and the subsequent Maps application fiasco.

While shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) had reached an all time high of $705 per share earlier in the year, the price has continued to drop in the last few weeks, leading to its closing at $509.59 today. Some analysts still hold positive feelings towards the company, expressing the rumors of the upcoming Apple TV launch, and the possibility of an iPad 5 as early as next March. However, it seems that much of Wall Street's population may be siding with Jeff Gundlach, who believes Apple will fall to as low as $425 per share.

The company once held the top spot as the world's most valuable company, but it seems that value is slipping away a little at a time these days. I personally believe Apple shares will rally in the coming quarters. Once the government reaches a decision on how to handle the fiscal cliff, tech stocks should have a brighter future ahead. Until that time, uncertainty and dissatisfaction seem to be the forces driving Apple's shares ever downward.

Apple Inc. (AAPL) has been on a roller coaster ride of thrills and chills this year, as its stock price soared to more than $700 per share and then plummeted back to the $515 range. However, one area the company has not been languishing in this year is sales. The iPhone 5 launch was the Cupertino company's largest product roll out ever, and it was amazingly successful, breaking all previous records for sales. The iPad 4 and iPad Mini launch that followed shortly after were also highly successful.

The results of these product's sales can be seen in the latest report from ValueWalk, which indicates that Apple reported an 87% increase in downloads from its App Store on Christmas day. The all around increase was reported to be around 70%, but iPad Apps hold the highest increase by percentage points. According to the figures published on ValueWalk, iPad Apps recorded a whopping 140% increase in downloads and an 80% increase in revenue earned. This points out that the iPad and iPad Mini were most likely the most popular Christmas gifts in Apple's product lineup this year.

According to a report from Macgasm.net, this is the first holiday shopping season where tablets beat out smartphones for the number 1 slot on gift givers' lists. The total number of mobile devices that were activated on Christmas day was 17.4 million. Tablets made up 51% of that number, and beat smartphones out for the top spot.

According to reports, the most popular apps that were downloaded were not Apple Apps, but in fact came from Apple's top competitor, Google Inc. (GOOG). Google's streaming video service, YouTube, was the most selected app in the App Store, with Google Maps coming in second. Surprisingly enough, an OfficeMax original app, called Elf Yourself, came in third place, and Disney's Where's My Holiday took fourth. Skype was also a popular download, as many families use the video calling feature to stay connected to each other during the holiday season.

Not surprising to many people, Apple is not the only company to record record sales in the tablet arena this holiday season. Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle Fire HD recorded the most significant growth in a single day. This affordably priced tablet is reported to be one of Apple's biggest threats in the near future, in regards to the mid and lower end of the tablet market.

Although the final numbers have yet to be released by each of these companies, all the current data seems to indicate that tablets were the most desirable items on holiday wish lists this year. The tablet market is not yet as saturated as the smartphone market, as many consumers already own a smartphone. This leaves yet another venue for companies like Apple Inc. (AAPL) to earn major profit.

Whether or not these numbers give the company a much needed boost in stock price remains to be seen. However, it can not be a bad thing to have set yet another record for sales this year.

Earlier this month, Time named Apple’s iPhone 5 its gadget of the year for 2012. Time’s Harry McCracken calls the phone “one of the most artfully polished gadgets anyone’s ever built.” He also says that Apple has had more than its share of tech successes because it is extremely fussy about details that “other companies ignore.”

The phone has a taller screen (4 inch) built into a thinner, lighter case that hasn’t gotten any wider – so you can still use it with one hand. This larger canvas lays claim to more pixels and heightened color saturation, making it clearer and brighter than the iPhone 4S.

The 8MP iSight camera also excels with its unparalleled panorama mode and a vibrant low-light mode - even though the camera itself is smaller than before. The iPhone 5 also boasts a faster chip, married to ultrafast wireless technology that doesn’t sacrifice battery life. All in an aluminum body beautifully designed with precision that Apple claims is unprecedented.

Designing a faster, thinner phone without losing any of its capabilities forced the company to do what it does best – come up with new technology.

Apple engineers created a nano-SIM, which is smaller than the micro-SIM; they put both voice and data on a single chip instead of the standard two, and the new A6 chip is up to 2X faster than its predecessor, the A5.

In addition, Apple created the first Retina display in which the touch technology is integrated. Engineers were able to design pixels that also act as touch-sensing electrodes, even while displaying the image. These double-duty pixels allow for one less layer between you and what you see.

The iPhone 5 is, in short, the “thinnest, fastest, lightest iPhone ever made” According to Time’s Harry McCracken, it is well made. “…when it comes to melding hardware, software and services so tightly that the seams fade away, Apple still has no peer.”

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